Wonder Woman and Superman in Leaps and Bounds
by NWHS
Summary: This gapfiller takes place before Superman 16 and the Young Romance: Valentine's Special. (New 52)
1. Chapter 1: London is for Lovers

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note:

In _Superman 16_ and _Young Romance: Valentine's Special_, Wonder Woman and Superman were referred to as "lovers." Okay, I'm sure I wasn't the only one surprised by that monumental leap in a barely-there relationship. So, yeah, clearly **a lot** happened off-panel, many unanswered, un-shown relationship stuff for fans who would really like to know, to see the relationship progress, not jump by leaps and bounds off-panel. Thus, the reason for this fic, one of many possibilities to explain how Wonder Woman and Superman came to be "lovers."

**Leaps and Bounds**

**Chapter 1: London is for Lovers**

Wonder Woman readied her sword as she cautiously flew toward the intruder. Five minutes ago a distinctive series of beeps had alerted her that someone had tripped the silent alarm. She'd just undressed and was about to slip into bed when she'd heard it.

Batman had installed the security for her, top of the line, high tech stuff that could only come from a mind such as his. He'd placed the control panel and surveillance feeds in her bedroom, a discreet slide-away panel at the back of her closet. Batman, being Batman, had never asked. He'd simply made it happen, telling her "No one will get within twenty yards of your home without you knowing."

Wonder Woman had never felt the need for such elaborate security, not until she'd placed Zola and her unborn under her charge. She couldn't be with her all the time. And while Lennox had turned out to be a surprising brother and ally, Diana wished no harm to come to him either. No, Zola, Lennox, even Hera, were hers to protect.

Wonder Woman spotted the intruder, tall and broad of shoulder. He was standing behind a tree in the backyard, facing the house. A baseball cap and trench coat prevented Wonder Woman from making him out completely. But it didn't matter. It was two in the morning and the man was uninvited and lurking around in her backyard. She would send him on his way, by sword point if need be.

Wonder Woman drew closer, sure hand gripping her sword, eyes narrowed, heart racing, ready for the battle to come. She raised the sword to the intruder's throat just as he said, "If it weren't for your runaway heartbeat and the myrrh you like to use in your hair, you would've gotten the drop on me. I've always marveled at your stealth skills."

She didn't drop her sword. No, her grip only tightened. "Perhaps," Wonder Woman said, making sure the tip of her blade grazed his chin, "you should change before setting out on stalker business. Even in the dark, your red boots are a dead giveaway." She chucked his chin with the side of her blade.

"Do you intend on using that thing?"

"I might." She moved closer, close enough to touch, but she did not. "It's typical to wait for an invitation before coming to a woman's home. I'm sure your parents raised you better than this."

"They did." He snorted. "And when did you intend on extending that invitation, Diana?"

She withdrew her sword.

"Thank you. I'm quite fond of my neck." He turned to face her, his trench coat open, revealing the large "S" on his muscular chest.

She met his blue eyes and almost felt ashamed of her actions. Almost. He shouldn't be here. They didn't do London or her home. Smallville. Metropolis. The Watchtower. Hell, anywhere else in the world but London, he knew that.

"You shouldn't be here, Clark."

"I just wanted to see where you lived." He glanced around the backyard, shook his head, then gave her a rueful smile. "I see our caped friend has been here. I didn't notice the underground sensors before. No wonder you knew I was out here." Clark stepped closer, eyes unreadable in the darkness of the night. "I must say, Diana, that it kinda hurts to know that you've had Batman to your home but pull a blade on me when—"

"It's not like that. Having Bruce in my home was a necessity I will not apologize for."

"And what of me, Diana? So you can come to my home, both invited and not, but I can't come to yours? That doesn't seem exactly fair."

No, it wasn't, but Clark didn't understand. She wasn't ready to blend the two pieces of her life. When she was with him she could forget that there was a childless mother in her home who cried herself to sleep every night. A fallen goddess whose arrogance knew no bounds, but whose heart and fidelity was betrayed time and again by a husband who lived only for his own lascivious needs. It was a toxic emotional mix that saddened and angered Diana.

She wanted none of it. But her decisions belied that truth. She was mired in ugly family machinations she had been ill prepared for. Even after so many months of battling cousins and uncles and siblings, Diana was still amazed that out of the ruins of her old life came a family straight from Hell. And she'd been to that most ignoble of places, and had no intentions of going back.

Diana looked past Clark and to the dark, silent house. Everyone inside were asleep. They need not know. Reaching out her hand to him, Diana said, "Clark Kent, will you do me the honor of gracing my home with your presence?"

He grabbed her hand, his large and warm. "Since you asked so nicely, how could I refuse?"

They walked across the grounds, entered the back door, and floated quietly up the stairs and into Diana's bedroom.

The covers were still pulled back, waiting for her return.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Trusting me. I just . . ." He shrugged.

"It was never about trust, Clark. If I lived here alone, as I once did, I would've gladly spent time with you here. But my life is infinitely more complicated than it was several months ago."

"You wanna tell me about it?"

Diana inwardly sighed. She didn't know how to do this. Didn't know how to take instead of give. Didn't know how to be the one being held and not doing the holding.

Clark brushed a lock of hair out of her eye, hand lingering on her cheek. "I'm here for you, Diana, whether you confide in me or not. I'm not going anywhere. When will you begin to believe that?" The hand caressing her cheek slid to the nape of her neck, gripping and pulling her to him. His lips grazed hers, a sweet barely-there kiss following. "Trust me, Diana. Really trust me."

Sincerity and affection coated every word. Diana didn't' need her lasso to know Clark spoke the truth and from his heart. Yet no one on the League knew the full truth. Perhaps it was time to change that. Maybe her wound wouldn't bleed as much as she feared. Or maybe it would and Clark would be there to re-bandage it.

"_Diana, before there was you . . . there was a man. No there was more than a man. There was a God. The God. There was Zeus. We sang only to each other. Our passion left me pregnant, and to guard that secret, I left him. He did not follow. Quickly I learned possessing a God has scant to do with keeping him."_

"_I wasn't made of clay."_

"_I had to protect you from Hera! She's—_

"_If my life is a lie, can it be worse than death?"_

"_We hatched a plan, Princess, and it kept you safe."_

"_We? This was a conspiracy? Mother? Why . . .?"_

"_Because if Hera learned you were her husband's daughter, she would have murdered you in your crib. Because I had to protect my daughter. Because I love you."_

"_You . . . When I left Paradise Island, do you know why? I ask because you never did."_

"_There are children who need to go away . . . to find their way home."_

"_Mother . . . Ha . . . For the first time I can call you that knowing your blood is in me . . . You're so wrong. I'm a lie. You're a fool. And you made one out of me."_

"Those were the last words I spoke to my mother. They were words of pain and a daughter's sense of betrayal. I left that night not knowing who or what I was, never intending to ever go back."

They were laying in her bed now, boots off, sheets crumpled under them. How they'd gotten there, Diana did not know, but it felt strangely right to have Clark next to her, sharing her bed.

"Hera came when I was away." Tears threatened, as they always did when she thought of her mother's and sisters' fate at the hands of the jealous, vengeful former goddess.

Thinking of the feelings she was developing for Clark Kent, Diana could well imagine the depth of pain a mate could bring to the heart of a woman, perhaps fueling her to act outside of herself. To even seek vengeance against the innocent, but Queen Hippolyta had been no innocent. But did that mean she deserved her fate . . .?

"My sisters are now hissing, mindless snakes."

"And what of your mother?"

Diana turned her head to face him. And when he raised his hand to her cheek, she knew she was crying. She couldn't help it. She should've been there to protect her. No matter what she'd done, Hippolyta was her mother, worthy of forgiveness if not understanding.

"Hera turned her to stone." After discovering all that Hera had wrought, Diana had carried her mother's immobile, lifeless form into the Great Hall. She would allow no elements to touch her queen. Taking one last forlorn look at her former home, Diana had vaulted into the air, promising her family she wouldn't place one foot on Paradise Island again until she could break the spell. And by all that was mighty, she would break the damn spell.

"I'm sorry." Clark wiped tears from her cheeks. "Thank you, Diana. I guess we all have our secrets. There's no shame in that."

She smiled at him. He always had a way of making her feel better. And it had started with one kiss on the Lincoln Memorial. But they weren't on that historic landmark now. They were in her bed, only inches from each other.

"Come here, Clark."

He came.

They kissed.

He tasted divine, minty with a hint of chocolate. Diana wanted more. Opening her mouth fully, she invited him in, an invitation he eagerly accepted.

Diana felt herself spiraling in a way she'd never before, his hands and mouth doing that to her. His body was doing far worse to her self-control, her own responding with primal lust, probably the kind of lust that had overtaken her mother when she'd lain with Zeus. Diana didn't understand it then, she did now. Lust and need and want were a heady mix that had her groaning for more.

Within minutes, they had divested each other of their uniforms, red and blue sprinkling the hardwood floor.

"Oh, Diana. You're so damn sexy. So damn gorgeous." Finding a breast and sucking, Clark said nothing more, just worshipped her bounty. And she let him, marveling at the heat and wetness quickly forming between her legs. She gasped when he drew the nipple deep into his mouth, sucking and biting with a roughness that was pure pleasure.

"Gods, Clark." That was all she could say. All her mind was capable of forming. Because, by the Gods, the man's tongue and mouth were masterful. His hands and fingers just as competent, caressing and kneading, driving her mad with desire.

"Are you sure you want this, Diana? Want me?"

It was a fine time to pose such a question. They were naked in her bed, Clark between her willing thighs, his steel erection on her stomach. If she were any more sure, he would already be inside her, bringing her to a heart stopping orgasm.

"I'm sure."

"Thank Rao." He leaned up on his elbows, positioned himself at her entrance, then stopped. "I assume you're on something? The pill?"

She frowned. "On something? The pill?"

He frowned back at her. "Birth control pills, Diana, or some other preventative."

Why in the world would she . . .? "I'm taking no medication, Clark."

His frown deepened. "I know I'm from another planet and you're a demigoddess, Diana, but I don't think we should take any chances that I could get you pregnant."

Pregnant? Gods, her body had truly taken over her mind. She hadn't even thought once about getting with child. Maybe she wasn't so different from her mother after all.

"My brother has prophylactics he thinks no one knows about. He keeps them in—"

Clark kissed her before rolling off and to the side. "Superman, remember?" he said by way of explanation.

_Of course._

"I just assumed," he began, giving her body a long, regretful perusal, "that you were on the pill. I guess Trevor used a condom while you were together."

Diana swore. Why did everyone . . .? "I'll say this only once, Clark, Steve and I were never lovers."

His eyes registered surprise but he didn't question her. Clark only stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. "I know you would never lie about such a thing but I can't believe Trevor never tried . . . that he never wanted . . ."

"Of course he wanted to, Clark." And he had tried, very hard, to convince her. And while they hadn't engaged in sexual congress, they were intimate in other ways. In certain respects, Diana was quite experienced, but in the one that mattered most . . .

"As much as I cared for Steve, there was something missing between us. Something I couldn't quite place but it kept me from giving myself fully to him."

"Fully?"

She rolled her eyes at his selective hearing. "And you, Clark Kent, Superman, do you come to this union wearing virginal white?" He briefly looked down. "I didn't think so."

"Does it bother you?"

"Does it bother you that I'm a virgin but not untouched?"

He laughed, actually laughed, then pulled her into a fierce embrace. "It's the best news I've ever heard. What man in his right mind would mind such a thing?"

She returned his embrace, aware of his hard, muscular form, tantalizing and too damn tempting. But she had to tell him one other thing, news she was sure wouldn't be as happily received.

"Clark, there's only one sure birth control that I know of that will be effective with my unique physiology."

"Are you saying that birth control pills or other contraceptives that human women use won't work on you?"

Diana didn't know for sure, but she highly doubted it. "I don't think so, Clark." But that wasn't the bad news. "There is a herb I can take that will prevent conception."

"Good, if you tell me where it grows, I'll—"

She shook her head. "It only grows on Paradise Island. Without me, you'll never make it past the magic that keeps outsiders on the other side of the protective barrier. And," she said with frustrated resolution, "I won't go back there until I have a cure for my family. I gave my word." He looked dejected, deflated even. Diana couldn't fault him, her feelings no different. "I'm sorry, Clark."

"Yeah, yeah, so am I."

They both lay there naked and aroused but unable to do a thing about it. They could play around the way she did with Steve, but she wanted so much more from her relationship with Clark. She wanted all of him, his body as well as his heart.

Surprising her, Clark rolled back on top of Diana, settling firmly between her thighs. "We can still give each other pleasure, Diana." He moved against her, rubbing himself against her but not entering.

Okay, maybe she wasn't so opposed to fooling around with Superman.

**TO BE CONTINUED **


	2. Chapter 2: Metropolis Memories

**Chapter 2: Metropolis Memories**

Part 1

Clark Kent cleaned his glasses, scooted forward in his chair, cracked his knuckles, and looked at the blank computer screen. It was eight in the morning and he was ready to begin his day. The story on the privatization of prisons was due by close of business today. Perry wanted the copy on his desk three hours before that, and Clark . . . well, his screen was depressingly blank, his mind crowded with thoughts of one Diana of Themyscira.

He sighed, then began typing, prodding through the story with mindless care. An hour later, he read what he'd written and sighed even louder. It was utter garbage, well, not exactly garbage, but definitely not up to Perry's standards. Nor Clark's

"What's up, C.K.?"

Clark turned to see his roommate and friend smiling at him, all red hair, freckles, and pale skin. "Just trying to finish the prison story."

Jimmy leaned a narrow hip against Clark's desk. "I thought you would've had that story finished by now. I've never known you to wait until a deadline to get your story in." Jimmy looked behind him, leaned in, and then said in a conspiratorial tone, "Not like some other reporter we know."

Yeah, he knew, and Jimmy was wise to make sure Lois was nowhere around to hear. But Clark could've told him that Lois Lane was on the street below, arguing with a cabbie about the fare. Apparently, Lois thought the man had deliberately taken a longer route to the _Daily Planet_ building just to run up the fare. The cabbie, for his part, argued that Lois had asked him to stop twice, once for coffee, the other for a scone.

"Anyway, listen C.K., I got a few days leave and I thought I would use it. The weekends coming up, so I'm gonna take Thursday and Friday off and make it an extra-long weekend."

Foregoing his assignment for now, Clark gave Jimmy his full attention. "Planning on doing something special?"

The younger man shrugged. "The New York Comic Con is this weekend. I thought I would go. I haven't been in ages." Jimmy winked at Clark, and then did that leaning in thing again. "Besides, I thought you might be interested in having the apartment to yourself for once."

Clark stared at Jimmy, but was also listening for Lois. If this conversation was going where Clark thought it was, he damn sure didn't want Lois to hear any of it.

"It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, Jimmy."

Olsen laughed then winked again. "Right, Kent. I know you've been holding out on me."

"I don't know what you're—"

"So who's the mystery lady? And," he said, before Clark could object, "don't tell me you haven't got one because I won't believe you."

Lois had just entered the building. He had to make this quick or Lois, being Lois, would have her big, fat, dog-with-a-bone reporter nose all in his business. As it was, she already thought he had someone special he was keeping from her. And, to Clark's eternal delight, he did. But he and Diana hadn't exactly talked about how they wanted to spin their relationship. For now, it was just the two of them, and, of course, Bruce. Because, hell, yes, Clark had found a tiny, barely noticeable audio-video device on his cape a while back. And only Batman would do such a thing. To date, neither one had mentioned the tracking device.

Clark knew that was a bridge he and Diana would have to cross eventually. But Batman's spying wasn't top priority. Finishing this conversation and shooing Jimmy away from his desk before Lois arrived was. And, of course, he had to finish his story. How in the hell did he keep forgetting that?

"Listen, Clark, obviously you're keeping your girl on the down-low. That's cool. But I figure any woman who distracts Clark Kent from his deadlines and keeps him up at night on the phone, must be pretty special."

_On the phone?_ Well, yeah, some nights. But clearly Jimmy wasn't as deep a sleeper as Clark had thought, for most of those late night conversations he'd overheard were face-to-face. Diana liked visiting him at night, and Clark, since that first night of flying, had taken to leaving the window open for her. And, thankfully, she'd made use of it more often than not.

Now Clark wondered how much Jimmy had actually heard over the last few weeks. Because, hell no, Clark and Diana didn't only talk. They explored every inch of each other, with lips, tongue, and hands. Diana may have been a virgin when it came to actual intercourse, but she knew her way around foreplay. The woman could kiss him senseless while bringing him to a roaring orgasm with only a few strokes of her strong hand.

But the innocent way Jimmy was looking down at him, Clark doubted the man had heard any of his and Diana's late night play. Or he had and he was just trying not to embarrass Clark. Either way, Clark was grateful.

"Anytime you want to have your lady over, just let me know. I can be a ghost for a couple of hours, no problemo. I'm just glad you've found somebody."

So was he. Someone who actually understood him, wanted to be with him. _All parts of me, not the hero or the man but both. _

Jimmy kept talking; Clark only half listened. The elevator Lois was on was only two floors away. He needed to bring this conversation to a swift conclusion.

"I appreciate that Jimmy. Look, man to man, let's just keep my relationship between the two of us. No need to—"

The elevator dinged, and then came the click, click, click of heels.

Jimmy glanced up at the approaching Lois, his eyes squinting with understanding. He slapped Clark on the back and whispered, "Got you. Man to man." Then he walked away, spoke to Lois, then mumbled, "Maybe he'll get some action while I'm away and stop wacking-off in the middle of the freakin' night."

_Oh, so he did hear us. _Slightly embarrassed, Clark laughed, then wished he wouldn't have when he saw the way Lois was eyeing him.

"You're in a good mood today, Kent." She placed her cup of coffee and a white pastry bag on her desk before pulling out her chair and sitting. "It seems you've been in a good mood of late. Care to share the wealth?" Lois booted up her computer, shrugging out of her suit jacket as she went.

Clark turned back to his mediocre story and frowned. He really needed to get and keep his mind on business. Thinking about Diana was only going to get him canned. Besides, he hadn't seen her in days. She normally called when she would be out of touch. But she hadn't. Not even a text message. Not like her, but she was a busy woman with a life that didn't involve him. Still, Clark couldn't help the nagging feeling that kept telling him something was wrong, that she was deliberately avoiding him. Paranoid, he knew, yet there it was.

"It's not a crime to be happy, Lois."

"So what or _who_ has made you so happy?"

_Always the intrusive reporter. _"Sorry, Lois, no time to talk. I gotta get this story finished before Perry has my hide." Clark began typing, effectively shutting Lois up and her questions down. He would complete the story, get the hell away from Lois's interrogative eyes, and go home, or maybe he would take a page out of Batman's book and patrol. Unfortunately, there was always something happening in the world that required Superman's special talents.

And while he was out, he would absolutely not swing pass London and Diana's home, as he'd done several times since that first night. She'd called him a stalker that night, and he'd felt like one. Worse, he'd gone back, floating overhead and out of reach of Batman's sensors. He knew she wouldn't appreciate it, but he worried about her. But Clark knew it was more than that, knew that he was falling for the Amazon in a way that was both exhilarating and terrifying as hell. Yet, he had no idea where he stood with her. And wasn't that a humbling thought?

Part 2

Clark opened his bedroom door already knowing what he'd see. And he didn't even try to keep the relieved smile off of his face when he entered and saw her sitting on the edge of his bed. She was dressed as Wonder Woman but she'd pulled her tiara and boots off. Her face was serene, eyes closed, legs crossed. He'd seen her meditate before. Diana had even tried to teach him a time or two, but hearing every little thing had made it difficult for him to find a quiet center on which to focus. But watching her now, Clark was pretty sure that he'd already found his quiet center.

"I thought I would have to leave breadcrumbs to help you find your way back here." It started as a joke in his head, but once it came out Clark knew the truth of his words.

She opened her eyes, the orbs unusually dull for such a vibrant woman. But there was no enthusiasm rolling from her. No, there was something different about Diana, something missing. _Her spark. Her passion._

"I'm sorry. I should have called, I know."

"It's all right, sweetheart. I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty." _Sweetheart? _Where in the world did that come from? But Clark had meant it and many more endearments that he wasn't sure he should say or how she would feel about such a masculine display of possessiveness. But Diana said nothing, not even an arched eyebrow warning him that he was entering dangerous feminist territory.

He moved to the bed and knelt in front of her. The urge to reach up and pull her to him was so great, but he resisted. Clark needed to figure out what was going on with her before he did something that would push her further away. And he did feel as if Diana was slipping from him, even though she was sitting unmoving before him, eyes bleak and devoid of warmth.

"Don't worry about it. You're here now, that's all that matters."

She reached out to him and stroked his cheek. And all the warmth missing from her eyes were there, in a single, tentative touch. "You are the one who's sweet, Clark. So very sweet and kind." Diana withdrew her touch, the chill returning.

Clark had no idea what was going on with her, but it was late, Jimmy had already packed and gone, and they had the apartment to themselves. They could speak freely and they had the time to do so unless . . .

"Do you have some other place you need to be, Diana, or can you stay awhile?" He wanted her to stay the night. Hell, he wanted to ask her to stay the entire weekend. But she didn't seem in the most agreeable of moods. _But she's here, so that must mean something. Right?_

"I've been away, Clark."

It wasn't an answer to his question, but Clark didn't care. This was what he wanted to know, what he sensed was at the core of her strange mood. He sat back on his haunches and waited for her to explain. He'd learned that this was the best strategy to use with Diana.

"I went to Paradise Island."

It was a good thing that Clark had decided to say nothing because he was quite literally left mute. _Why would she go there? Did she find the spell to free her mother and sisters? _Clark didn't think that was the case. No way would Diana be so dour if she'd been reunited with her family.

"Everything was as it had been so many months ago."

He heard the tears in her voice, but none fell. _Perhaps she has no more to shed._

"Life has simply gone on as if they never existed." She shook her head. "I have still yet to figure out how to undo what Hera has done. In truth, Clark, I don't even know where to begin since Apollo has revoked her godhood."

_Hell, Gods can do that?_

Unable to sit there and do nothing, Clark scooted closer, and placed a hand on her knee. She didn't even seem to notice, her eyes looking at but also through him, seeing something he couldn't even imagine.

"So why did you go?"

Her eyes suddenly focused, and he knew she was truly seeing him. Then she slid from the bed and into his lap, her head going to his shoulder. And for long minutes, neither spoke. Just breathed and held each other.

"I've never," she began in a soft, wispy tone, "thought of myself as a selfish woman . . . or even a needy one."

Neither had he. No, Diana was the most giving person he knew. A true humanitarian who expected nothing in return for her acts of honor, acts of heroism. That was one of the reasons why he—

Diana pulled away from him, just enough for them to look into each other's eyes. "I went to retrieve the herb, Clark."

"The herb?" he repeated just as low. Hell and damn, Diana knew how to bring a man to silence.

"And now you regret it?"

"I should."

"But you don't?"

"No, Clark, I don't. But I do regret breaking my vow for something so utterly self-serving."

Clark was torn. Clearly Diana was upset over what she perceived to be a breach in her Amazonian code of honor. He could respect that. It was what made her special, what made her Wonder Woman. But, damn, he also wanted to leap to his feet and shout with joy. The woman had overcome her fears about returning to a home that held nothing but magical death there. And she'd also broken her own vow, a vow that mattered to no one but her, but a vow that was born of guilt, regret, and shame. _Just_ s_o we can be together._

"I should not have gone. But I found myself unable to stay away, unable to not do something just for myself for a change."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Diana. There is nothing inherently wrong with a selfish act now and again. It doesn't make you less of a person, less of a heroine, less of an Amazon because you have needs and wants."

She closed her eyes and brought her forehead to his. "And I do want you, Clark Kent. I want you in a way that is blinding and altogether distracting."

He chuckled. "Nice to know I'm not the only one driven to distraction." He sobered then asked, "So why have you stayed away?"

Diana pulled away again and opened her eyes. "The herb needs to be made into a tea and taken for four days before enough of it is in the woman's blood stream for it to be effective. After that, a cup a day will suffice."

"It's been six days, Diana."

Because, being the whipped fool that he was, Clark knew down to the half second how long it had been since he'd last seen her.

"I know. I spent the other two trying to figure out how best to tell you that we can fully consummate our relationship."

He would have laughed with excitement if she didn't look so damn serious. But for all her foreplay experience, Diana was just a babe when it came to man-woman relationships and sexual intimacies. And while Clark was with experience, he didn't have a long list of paramours. But he knew enough to make her first time, and every time after that, memorable.

And, in truth, Clark had only been with human women. Women with whom he'd had to be ultra-careful. Women who were fragile and needed to be handled like hand-blown glass. Pleasurable as the interludes had been, Clark was man enough to admit that he was never completely satisfied. So, in a way, tonight would be a first for him as well.

Clark lifted them off the floor and settled them in the middle of his bed. He'd dreamed of this moment for so long, the day when he could take Diana in his arms and make love to her all night. And, for them, all night would not be an exaggeration. Because it would take that long for him to come to grips with the fact that Diana had chosen him, him, Clark Kent from Smallville, care of Krypton.

And Clark was no fool. He knew what they were about to do meant more to Diana than she was willing to admit right now. _And to me. _But he wasn't ready to voice that truth just yet. _No, not just yet._

They undressed each other in silence, an awe in their eyes as if they hadn't seen it all before. They had, but the knowledge that they would finally join had given the routine a new anticipatory glow.

And Diana was so exquisite, finely chiseled and deliciously curved in all the right places. She was truly blessed by the gods, and so was he.

"I have no place I need to be, Clark," she said, answering his long ago question. "I have no place I want to be. Just here. With you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a heated kiss.

He gave into the kiss, pleased it was only the beginning. Slinking down her body, Clark began his exploration, finding breasts and nipples first and sucking. She liked that. Liked when he pulled on her distended nipples, liked when he tweaked them with his fingers, and when he buried his face between her breasts, palming and squeezing with both hands until she moaned and bucked and begged for more. _Like she's doing now._

She liked when he massaged her inner thighs and plump ass. She liked when he kissed, licked, and bit them, liked when he spread her legs wide and pleasured her first with his fingers, and then with his hungry tongue until she squirmed and screamed and pleaded for release. _Like she's doing now._

And he gave it to her, answering her demand with one of his own. She was his. He would claim her and make her his. He wouldn't say the words, but she would know. Know by the way he would love her, the way he would please her, and the way she would pleasure him, that he was hers, and she was his.

And when the moment came for absolute completion and surrender, Clark didn't hesitate, and neither did Diana. No, she rose to meet that first precious slide into her Garden of Eden, a Paradise Island not known to any mortal man, unexcavated lands that Diana had willingly and lovingly ceded to him.

And he had yielded just as much to her. They were equals, partners in this endeavor of give and take. Lust and love.

A league of two.

A Superman.

A Wonder Woman.

Joined bodies.

Joined hearts.

And many, many memories to come.

**TO BE CONCLUDED**


	3. Chapter 3: Morning After

**Chapter 3: Morning After**

_Darkness surrounded the Princess of Themyscira. There had once been light, sparks of brilliance that dared share its grace with the small island nation. But now there was only darkness, only a pitch black ache of loneliness and heartache. And the void of ugly despair only grew the longer she stayed, the longer her soul remained rooted to this lost paradise._

_But she couldn't yet force the separation, yield to self-preservation. A part of her thought she deserved this torture, the inky sludge of mourning that had attached to her heart and refused to let go._

_She slumped further to the floor, her hand gripping the spoil of her emotional war, the reason for the pilgrimage home. Tears fell. But hadn't they fallen already? Had they ever truly stopped?_

_Curling into a fetal position, she wedged herself between the cold, hard wall and an even colder prostrated stone. Lifeless and beseeching forgiveness, arms outstretched, the stone spoke volumes in its mocking silence. She curled closer, pressing into it, searching for the motherly warmth she once knew. The warmth she had taken for granted. The warmth she feared would never be hers again._

_And out of the still darkness came the slithering. They too had found the queen. Indeed, they had always been here, here when she had not. Here when hurt and anger and confusion had driven her away. Too far away. _

_Then the hissing came, not from all but some. She did not shrink from the sound or the reptilian sentiment, the threat, the accusation. She deserved the scorn, the distrust, the sadness in the scales slithering over and around her. But they didn't strike, didn't rear back and set fangs to flesh. No, that wasn't necessary. Their chilling presence struck deeper and with more venom than if they had actually attacked._

_And the toxin coursed through her shaking form, but it was no match for what already lie within. A heart split in two. One half slowly, desperately pumping, coated in debilitating darkness. The other half was stomping at a jovial rhythmic pace, shining and bright with possibility, with new love._

_Latching onto that possibility, onto that shining light, Princess Diana of Themyscria lifted herself into the air. The snakes fell away but their pain did not. But she kept lifting, kept moving farther and farther away until she was away from the Great Hall. _

_Away from an island that was only paradise because of its people. _

_Away from the child once called "clay."_

_Away from lies and secrets and revenge made manifest. _

_Away. Away. Away._

_And towards . . ._

Diana opened her eyes, no longer caught in the familiar nightmare. They began after she discovered what Hera had done to her family. Over the months, they'd scaled down to only two or three a week. But since returning home, she'd had one every night. Last night had been no different, although so much had changed.

Glancing to her side, Diana realized she wasn't the only one awake. Blue eyes watched her.

"Bad dream?"

She briefly closed her eyes then nodded. This wasn't how she wanted to begin her morning, her first with Clark. She reached out and touched the cheek of the face hovering above her. "Good morning."

He smiled, lazy and knowing.

"Good morning, _Wonder Woman_."

She groaned. He'd called her that a lot last night, but with none of the reverence people normally said it with. No, Clark's new emphasis now had a decidedly wicked, sensual meaning. A meaning, that, yes, she earned by the sheer number of times they made love. And, she sheepishly admitted to herself, by her unbridled enthusiasm.

"You're not nearly as cute as you think you are, Clark."

He batted his ridiculously long dark lashes at her, his smile as beautiful as the sun making its appearance in the early-morning sky.

"That wasn't what you said last night."

Diana refused to blush, because once she started she knew she wouldn't be able to stop. Because, yes, she remembered everything she had said to him last night. Or rather moaned, swiftly followed by yet another full-body orgasm.

"I distinctly recall you saying my body was like Mount Olympus—majestic, matchless, magnificent."

"You know, Clark, a little bit of humility goes a long way."

"Speaking of 'long way,' you also said—"

She smacked him with his pillow, then did it again and again and again until the pillow fight was on and they were rolling around on the bed. The bed, which was actually just a mattress now, had collapsed somewhere between their first and second coupling. Or maybe it was when Clark had told her to, "ride me like a Kryptonian stallion," that had done the poor wooden frame in.

Pillow feathers were now everywhere, floating above them like some poor sacrifice to a disapproving pillow god. They tussled outright now, naked bodies pushing and pulling and scratching and tugging. And she was giggling. Actually giggling like a . . . like a . . . woman in love for the first time?

Diana stopped, halted by her own realization. _Am I in love with Clark Kent . . . Superman?_ She looked up at him, his massive body perched above her, his hair wonderfully messy, his eyes glowing with desire. _Yes, I am._ Then she couldn't help but wonder if the feeling was mutual. If nothing else, he made her feel loved when they were intimate. She didn't know if that was one in the same. For her it was, but for Clark . . . well, Diana simply didn't know.

"I got you now, Amazon."

Yes, yes he did. More than he knew.

Diana mock struggled, just as Clark mock held her down, hands gently twined with her own. Their palms pressed firmly together, as close as the rest of them, Diana aware of her own and Clark's arousal.

They kissed, and the feel of his lips and tongue obliterated whatever lingered from her nightmare, smashing the memory into bits of unwanted guilt, uninvited sorrow. And when he slipped inside of her, claiming Diana with possessive familiarity, she relished the sensation of fullness, the filling of an ache too long denied, even the ebbing soreness of being deliciously stretched.

Clark released her hands then rolled them over until she was on top. Sitting up, Diana felt powerful, in control, as if she could do anything, be anyone. _Be myself. _Trusting the man she'd given her body and heart to, Diana slowly discarded her bracers, slipping them off her wrists and onto the floor.

She watched Clark watch her. His gaze intensified but his passion-filled expression never changed. He sat up, shifting her more firmly onto him, ripping a soft moan from them both.

His hands found a hip and her back, fitting them together perfectly. And he said nothing as he began to move inside of her, their eyes locked, his blue, hers lightning white. So she said nothing either, just matched his rhythm, accepting his silent acceptance of her.

"You truly are the daughter of Zeus, aren't you, sweetheart?" His words were but a husky whisper in her ear.

She nodded, holding him even closer to her, his thighs hard and strong under her.

"Don't close them," he said, when she went to shut her eyes. "I want to see all of you. I need to see all of you."

He increased the pace, going faster and faster, slamming into her with an intensity that was as much a challenge as it was a demand for her to let go completely. Clark's steel words of "Show me, Diana," almost undid her. But it was his sensuous growl of "Claim me properly, Amazon," that set her ablaze.

Lightning skidded through every pore of her body, skating over muscles and sinews and bursting from fingertips, eyes, and hair. On his back Clark went, the mattress reduced to inconsequential shards of cotton, Diana a nimbus cloud of unleashed demigoddess above him. And with an untamed roughness that shocked her but pleased Clark, the Amazon did indeed claim her Kryptonian.

Over and over.

Loud and relentless.

Wild and free.

And when they finished, when there was not an ounce of energy left between them, they collapsed . . . and fell . . . and fell . . . and fell. And when they finally landed, they were in the basement of Clark's apartment building, naked and staring up into the faces of shocked neighbors.

Mortified, all Diana could think to say was "I can never show my face in Metropolis again."

Clark chuckled. "It's not exactly your face that people will remember." He smacked her bottom. "Not when you've given them so much more to look at."

She groaned and buried her face in his sweaty chest, ignoring the hoots and applauses from the men above and the disapproving tsks from the older women.

"What are you complaining about, I'm the one who has to live with these people. Besides," he said, looking up at the gaping hole above them, "I have to explain to Jimmy that I lost our security deposit."

"You're right." Diana looked around. "So, ah, maybe we can move now before one of those frat boys takes a picture and we find ourselves on News 52."

He smacked her bottom again, and then winked when she glared at him.

Ten minutes later, they were back in his apartment, looking down into a hole that went several stories. Diana snapped her second bracer back into place. "That's the last time—"

Clark spun her around to face him, his mouth swallowing the nonsense she was about to spout. "Fortress of Solitude."

"What?"

"Fortress of Solitude. This weekend. Just the two of us. Bring lots and lots of that herbal tea of yours."

He shooed her away from the hole and the destruction they'd wrought, thankful the damage was only wood and beams and not people. Yeah, not exactly the way she wanted to spend her morning after. Not that she liked the idea of having met Clark's neighbors in the form of the forever-nude Aphrodite.

Clark grabbed her hand. "I have to be at work soon, so we need to shower."

Ah, yeah, they really, really did. They smelled exactly like what they'd been doing for hours. But showering together? "I don't think that's a good idea."

Clark led her into the bathroom, turned on the water, and slipped inside the shower. "It's the best-worst idea I've ever had." He reached out a hand to her. "Are you coming?"

If Diana joined him, she knew she would be soon . . . and repeatedly.

Diana glanced at the perfect white tiles of the shower, all even and unblemished. Then she looked at Clark, his body wet and sexy, eyes twinkling, hand still outstretched. With a shrug, Diana eased out of her bracers and into the shower.

Clark immediately pinned her to the shower wall.

"You're going to be late for work."

"I know."

Diana wrapped her legs around his waist.

"We're going to wreck this shower."

"Already calculating the cost of repair."

He joined them.

They moaned.

And when that first tile cracked, Diana barely noticed. No, all she could hear was the thumping of her heart, racing by leaps and bounds to a place she has never been but might be, toward a destiny yet revealed.

**THE END**

**Author's Note:** Okay, there's my "What If" gapfiller. Thank you for reading, and a special thanks to those who've taken the time to leave a comment. I enjoy reading your thoughts and appreciate the feedback.


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